Sachin Tendulkar guided India to a stunning six-wicket victory with a superb century as England slumped to defeat in the opening Test in Chennai.

Set a daunting target of 387 just after tea on the fourth day, India sealed a famous triumph with 21 overs of the final day remaining to complete the fourth-highest successful run chase ever.

Sachin Tendulkar (right) and Yuvraj Singh

Marginal outsiders at the start of the day when they resumed still 256 runs away from victory on 131 for one, it took a brilliant 163-run unbroken partnership between Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh to secure what eventually became a comfortable victory.

Arriving at the crease just three overs after the start when Rahul Dravid edged Andrew Flintoff behind, master batsman Tendulkar provided the steady influence to pace the chase brilliantly.

He finished unbeaten on 103 having spent over five hours at the crease withstanding everything England could throw at him while Yuvraj, subjected to a fierce verbal battle with England’s fielders at the start of his innings, hit an unbeaten 85 in his comeback Test.

Opener Gautam Gambhir, who resumed overnight on 41, reached his half-century in the sixth over of the day with a clipped single off Graeme Swann after two and a half hours at the crease.

It took a bowling change, bringing James Anderson into the attack as a replacement for Lancashire team-mate Flintoff, to end Gambhir’s threatening 42-run stand with Tendulkar.

Hammered for 15 runs in just two overs the previous evening, this time Anderson provided greater control and finally tempted Gambhir into a loose shot outside off stump which was superbly caught by a diving Paul Collingwood in the gully.

That brought VVS Laxman to the crease for the remaining nine overs of the session, which he survived comfortably, but played a loose shot fending off Swann just four overs after lunch and found Ian Bell at short leg.

That brought Yuvraj to the crease and he produced a composed innings alongside Tendulkar who reached his 41st Test century with a sweep for four off Swann which sealed the victory and delighted the 30,000 crowd.